Dark Hazard Reviews

A rare picture in that Robinson plays a weakling, a man who is motivated by a compulsion to gamble and is manipulated by others. It's a refreshing role as, until then, Robinson had been the pusher rather than the pushee. Robinson is one of those gamblers who can win or lose thousands and appear the same. He goes to work as a cashier at a small Ohio track and moves into a boardinghouse run by Dunn. Dunn's daughter, Tobin, falls for him despite Dunn's attempt to match her up with Meeker, one of the town's bigwigs. Tobin and Robinson get married after he swears off gambling. They leave Ohio and move to Chicago, where Robinson takes a temporary job in a cheap hotel. That ends when he accepts an offer to run a small dog track in California. He is soon gambling again--just small sums, but Tobin knows where that can lead and she lets him know how she hates that side of his personality. Farrell, a onetime flame of Robinson's, shows up at the track and they are glad to see each other. Later, Farrell arrives at the Robinson house under the influence. Tobin is riled, locks her husband out, and he retaliates by taking Farrell to a local gambling house, where he wins $20,000. Later, he returns home and apologizes to Tobin and swears he'll never do it again. After he falls asleep, Tobin takes the fresh cash and leaves him a note saying that she's gone back to Ohio and will be waiting for him once he quits gambling. Robinson drifts around for a while, then goes back to Tobin but learns that she's now in love with Meeker. At the local track, Robinson recognizes a dog named Dark Hazard. The dog is about to be destroyed after being injured, but Robinson intervenes and buys the animal. Later, he finds Tobin in Meeker's arms and realizes the truth about the situation. He gets drunk, starts a fight with Meeker, and eventually gives up when he sees that Tobin is genuinely concerned about his rival. Robinson leaves with the dog, helps the animal recover, and begins winning lots of money. The two of them go to Australia, where Robinson makes a bundle at the track, then promptly goes broke at roulette. Fade to black. More of a character study than a plotted film. Robinson shows his acting versatility and gets our sympathy with his portrayal of a man who just can't help himself. Remade in 1937 as WINE, WOMEN AND HORSES with Barton MacLane and Ann Sheridan.